The Office of Planning and Facilities Management is considering the construction of two new buildings, a dorm located on Harbin Patio and an academic building located at the south end of the Regents Hall lawn.

While the construction of these buildings would likely not even begin until 2020, current students know from experience that planning ahead is imperative as far as campus impact and student life are concerned. Careful planning is especially needed to avoid last-minute disturbances such as those that have arisen with the construction of the Northeast Triangle Residence Hall, scheduled to open in fall 2015 after delays.

Since the Harbin Patio and especially the south lawn of Regents Hall are relatively unused spaces, the proposed construction would likely not throw everyday student life into disarray. Existing in a relatively contained area as opposed to the Northeast Triangle, the construction of which has closed off both the Leavey Bridge and Tondorf Road, these proposed buildings will be placed in spaces that do not receive nearly as much traffic.

Despite these drawbacks, the university has proven through new buildings such as the Healey Family Student Center that it can effectively construct a beautiful and cohesive campus structure, and this commitment to early planning demonstrates that it can learn from its past mistakes.